Operation Rescue
by wf8621nc
Summary: Regina is mourning Robin's death when she has an idea on how to save him. She recruits Emma, Henry, and Hook to accompany her on a journey back in time to retrieve Robin. Unexpectedly, they find themselves in Southampton in April 1912. (various characters from OUAT and Titanic are mentioned and involved)
1. Chapter 1

No one has seen much of Regina in the week since Robin's death. Even Henry hasn't been able to get her to come out of her seclusion. He has, at least, been able to make sure she's eating. He brings her Granny's every day in the cemetery, although she barely touches it.

"I miss you, Robin. I need you. I can't fight the Evil Queen inside me without you."

Regina is laying on her side in the grass, right hand placed on the fresh mound of dirt, her head resting against Robin's gravestone. She's been laying there for the entire morning— as she's done every day since Robin's funeral— talking to her deceased true love, her best friend, her conscience, and her soulmate. She speaks to him and can hear his responses inside her head. His usual encouragements to keep her on a heroic path. Because after all, he's with her, _always_. But she's in such overwhelming pain. She feels lost. Robin was her home, her peace, and now he's gone. Thanks to Hades. And now there's no way to get him back. She can't go down to the Underworld and save him because the Olympian crystal sent him to oblivion.

Emma is conflicted. She feels guilty that Hook was able to return when she knows thats not possible for Robin. As Regina's friend, she wants to help her, but its proven difficult. Each time Emma has tried to comfort her, Regina disappears in a cloud of purple smoke, never allowing Emma to say more than one or two words to her.

Emma is sitting in her yellow bug at the cemetery. Henry has just dropped off lunch for Regina, placing the bag beside her as she laid on the ground.

"How was she today?" Emma asks as Henry gets back into the car.

"Worse," Henry says with a frown, shaking his head. "She didn't even look up. I don't even think she knew I was there. I'm worried, Mom."

"Your mom feels things very deeply, Henry. This loss, on top of everything else that's happened in her life, is more than anyone should ever have to endure." Emma responds trying to comfort the boy. But it sounds more like she's trying to convince herself that Regina will be okay.

They fall silent, just watching Regina for a few more minutes, when she suddenly sits up.

"Oh my god!" Regina gasps suddenly, her eyes grow impossibly wide. She sits up quickly with a surprised and actually jubilant look on her face. "I've got it!"

She looks around and sees Emma and Henry sitting in the yellow bug a few yards away. She jumps up and hurries over to them, not even noticing the looks of complete and utter shock on their faces at her surprising change in demeanor.

Emma and Henry rush out of the car when they see Regina pop up and run toward them.

"I've got it!" Regina says again, grabbing Emma's shoulders excitedly. Emma smiles anxiously back at her.

"What is it, Regina? What did you figure out?" Emma asks cautiously, fearing that maybe Regina has started hallucinating.

"Emma! We can go back in time and save Robin!"

"Wait, Regina, we can't. You know the lengths that Zelena had to go to to cast the spell a few years ago. Regina you can't." Emma pleaded with her.

"No. The wand Emma."

"What?"

"The wand. The Dark Fairy's wand that Rumple gave you when you were in the Enchanted Forest. He said it could replicate any magic that has ever been procured. So we use the wand to open up a portal to the past, find Robin and bring him back!" Regina is positively beaming at Emma now.

"Mom, thats brilliant!" Henry is excited. He hasn't seen his mother so happy since before Robin's death. It feels like its been an eternity since he's seen her smiling.

"But Regina, we can't change the past. Even a small change could have catastrophic consequences. There's no telling what might happen." Emma tries to think rationally and pleads with Regina to see reason, but Henry steps in again.

"I'll bring my storybook. That way we can make sure anything that is suppose to happen still does after we save Robin Hood. Except then we can save him from Hades." He says the last part cautiously, uncertain how Regina would respond. But she's still smiling, looking between Emma and Henry, tears of joy trickling down her face.

"If there's one thing your parents have continued to remind me, its that it's never too late, especially if you never give up hope. We can do this, Emma. This is the _only_ way." She's now almost begging Emma to help her.

"Fine." Emma says, not able to deny the pleading, heartbroken woman her last chance at saving her true love, especially after Regina, Robin, and the her own family went to the Underworld with her to save Hook. "Lets go find Gold and get the wand."

At this Regina hugs her. She's overflowing with emotions. Still grieving, still mourning her true love, but now filled with hope at another chance to be with Robin. They pile into Emma's bug and drive to Gold's pawn shop. Regina can't sit still, she's too excited. Henry starts planning, naming off items they should take that could possibly help them. "Woah, kid. I don't know if you should come, it could be dangerous." Emma tells him. Henry looks at her with an exasperated expression.

"Mom, I'm coming. It's operation Cobra all over again. And I know the book better than anyone. I can help." Then turning to Regina he says "I'm gonna help you get find your happy ending again." He assures her, grabbing her hand tightly in his own. She's somewhat dazed but squeezes his hand back, acknowledging that he's spoken to her.

When they reach Gold's shop they meet Hook. Emma had called him on the way over, informing him of the plan, to which he insisted that he'd be attending. They enter the pawn shop together, calling out to Gold who was in the back room.

"To what do I owe this interruption," he says begrudgingly as he appears from behind the curtain separating the front from the back of the shop.

"We need the Dark Fairy's wand," Regina demands.

"Oh, you need it, do you? You know everything comes with a price, especially magic as powerful as that," he scoffs, not really caring about their interests.

"What do you want then?" Emma answers annoyed, not having the patience to listen to Gold's attitude, especially since he'd undone Hook's heroic efforts by becoming the Dark One again.

"Well this is quite the favor—" Gold starts before Hook interrupts.

"I think you owe it to all of us, Crocodile, since you took it upon yourself to become the bloody Dark One again. I bet Belle didn't take that knowledge too well. She'd want you to help us."

"Oh would she now? Help the pirate who's threatened her life multiple times and Regina who locked her up for 28 years?" Gold responded bitterly.

"Belle knows Regina isn't the Evil Queen anymore, Gold. And if you recall, I can still hear the dagger so I could easily find it and _make_ you give us the wand, but thats your choice," Emma is impatient now. Regina is gripping the edge of the counter, knuckles white, eyes staring hard at Gold, a mixture of sorrow and hope swirling in them.

"Fine." Gold complies unhappily, but complies none-the-less.

Gold walks into the back room and returns moments later with a black glass wand, the same wand Emma had used to reopen the portal to present day when she and Hook had been stuck in the Enchanted Forest after getting sucked into Zelena's time portal.

"How do you intend to use this?" he asks them before hesitantly placing it in Emma's outstretched hand.

"We're going back to save Robin," Regina responds, her eyes now looking at the wand.

"What?!" Gold is furious now. "You _know_ the consequences of changing the past," he says to the group. "And you two," he points his index finger to Emma and Hook now, "you almost destroyed the future the last time you time traveled."

"Well we pulled it off then and we can do it again," Emma sasses back. Hook give Gold a piercing glare before he gestures to Emma that they should leave. "Right, well, we're gonna go save Robin now." With that they four of them leave the shop.

Emma, Henry, and Hook stop by Snow and Charming's apartment to fill them in on what they're going to do. Regina finds Zelena to inform her. After gathering the materials they need for their journey, they meet back up in Emma's backyard.

"So _when_ exactly are we going?" Emma asks Regina as she joins the group.

"To when Robin first landed in this world," she responds calmly, seeming more like her old self.

"Okay, so we'll just be dodging the bloody wicked witch again, trying not to be turned into flying monkeys, wonderful," Hook says, rolling his eyes. Regina snaps a glare at him and Emma nudges him to tell him not to push it.

"I suppose so," Regina says after a moment. "Well, we should all hold hands to ensure we all go to the same time and place." She takes the wand and waves it around, pointing it up at the sky.

After a moment's pause, the wind picks up, and a portal opens before them, glowing bright. They all clasp hands and jump together, thinking of Robin as Regina directs it to when he first arrived in this realm.

Their feet hit the ground. They open their eyes. It's bright. The sun is high and it's chilly. Suddenly they become aware of how loud it is around them. And the people. So many people. People wearing very different clothes from their own. Men in top hats, tailored suits, others in less expensive slacks and shirts. The women are adorned in floor length dresses, gloves, fancy hats, and delicately escorted by men. Then confusion sets in. They look at one another realizing immediately that they're no longer in Storybrooke. But where are they? And when?

"We're certainly not in Storybrooke anymore." Hook says with some surprise evident in his voice. "Are you sure you thought of the right time Regina?"

"I directed it to the first time Robin entered this realm. He must have come to this world before the curse brought him to Storybrooke a few years ago. That's the only explanation." Regina answers, her voice revealing the shock over their unexpected surroundings.

"Okay, where the hell are we then?" Emma says, starting to feel nervous with all of the weird looks they're getting in their very different attire.

"I think I know." Henry says gloomily. They turn to look at him, finding him facing the opposite direction. They follow his gaze until their eyes fall on a giant iron passenger liner with huge white letters reading 'TITANIC' across the side.


	2. Chapter 2

"Woah, she's beautiful. A ship fit for a captain." Hook is reveling in the beauty of the grand ship, positively beaming. He's marveling at her size, imagining himself captaining such a magnificent vessel.

Emma's eyes are wide, flashing across the giant letters in front of them. Henry's face is pale, his eyes growing fearful. "No— oh my god— no" is all Regina can breathe. At Regina's words, Hook looks at his three companions, confusion setting in.

"What?" he asks, not understanding why they all look panicked and down right terrified.

"This is the _Titanic_ ," Emma says slowly, eyes still locked on the big white letters.

"I can see that, love" Hook furrows his brow, unable to catch the significance. "Why are you all looking like that?" He's now growing concerned by the horror he sees on their faces.

Henry finally finds his words and speaks in a hushed voice so as to not let anyone else around them hear his words. "This is the Titanic, the grandest ship of all time. The most glorious disaster and tragedy"— he pauses for a moment shaking his head in awe and disbelief — "this ship hits an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic on its way to New York. It sinks. Over 2/3rds of the passengers die." Henry's voice falls silent and Hook looks around at Regina and Emma to confirm the boy's story. They're both scanning the ship with fear.

"Oh." Hook can't really find any words, but he's realizing they should stick to their mission and find Robin Hood. Looking around at the people around them, he decides they should blend in, as to not draw attention to themselves. "We need to find clothes to change into, blend in. Then we need to find Robin, love."

Emma nods at this, his voice luring her out of her trance. She places a hand on Regina's arm, attempting to bring her back to earth. At the contact, Regina shakes her head and speaks in a shaky voice, "Robin must have sailed on the Titanic. He never told me."

"Well we know he survives," Emma responds trying to comfort her friend. "Come on, we need to be more inconspicuous, and then we can find Robin." She's grabs Henry's hand and wraps her other around Regina, pulling her away from the ship toward the shops that line the port. Hook follows directly behind them.

As they mill through the crowd of people they catch bits and pieces of conversations, along with several bewildered looks by those they pass.

"When can we get on the ship, Daddy?" a little girl in a pink frilly dress asks the man she's clutching tightly in her hand.

"Tomorrow, sweet pea. Tomorrow we'll be sailing to America," he smiles down at his daughter. She jumps up and down excitedly at this.

"It must be April 9th." Henry put the pieces together. He's quite familiar with the tragic story of Titanic after all. It's always been one of his favorite topics to study in History.

When they reach the shops, they enter a less busy store that sells first class clothing. Across the shop they see two red-head women, one much younger than the other. "We have to look the part, Rose," the older woman was saying in a bitter tone.

"Oh, mother, this is ridiculous. I'm already marrying Cal for you, don't make me go through this charade anymore," Rose sassed back.

"Don't use that tone with me, young lady!" the older woman scorned, grabbing Rose's arm tightly. Rose winced. The four could see she was unhappy, miserable even.

"Wait, thats Rose! From the story!" Henry whispered to them. Emma smiled recognizing his connection. Regina seemed distraught for a moment. Witnessing this girl's interaction with her mother reminded her of the relationship she had with her own mother so many years ago, when she had been forced to marry Leopold. She shivers at the memory, shakes her head, and then proceeds to look for clothes.

They spend a few minutes collecting together several outfits and purchase them. Being that they're over 100 years in the past, they can buy more than they expect, making them appear far more wealthy than they would be in modern times.

"We should buy tickets, Mom" Henry addresses Emma this time.

"We don't even know if Robin was on Titanic yet. He could've just been in Southampton." Emma replies, yet she has a nagging feeling that he probably did sail on Titanic.

They find a place to change into their new clothes. Regina and Emma help each other into their corsets, gloves and stiff, starchy dresses. They meet Henry and Hook outside the shop. Regina is wearing a long navy dress with white lining around the edges, long sleeves, and a scoop neckline encrusted with small black beads. Her hair is drawn back and a wide rimmed matching hat is placed on her head. Emma is dressed in a cream colored gown with a black sash around the waist, a black overcoat that is buttoned snuggly overtop the dress. A white hat with a single feather is perched on the top of her head, a few loose curls framing her face. Henry and Hook have dressed in classic black suits and hats befitting the time period.

"You cut quite a figure in that dress, Swan" Hook says when he sees her.

"Well it sure as hell ain't comfortable," Emma replies, a hint of a smile etched on her face from his compliment, despite the unhappy tone of her voice.

"Come on, lets go find Robin." Regina looks determined now. "He's gotta be here somewhere."

"How the bloody hell are we gonna find _one_ man in this crowd of people?" Hook asks doubtfully. Emma nudges him to be quiet and speaks up before Regina can fire back with an angry response.

"Finding people is what I'm best at. We'll find him. I know it, Regina." Regina nods, a glimmer of hope is evident in her eyes.

They wander through the crowd of people at the port, eyes peeled, ears listening intently for any sign of Robin. Emma suggests they stop by every shop, restaurant, and pub along the way. Each one they enter, looking around, but no sign of Robin. As they pass the ticketing area they hear a familiar voice. Regina swivels around immediately. Then they see him. Robin is standing at the counter, one hand passing money to the man on the other side of the glass, the other holding onto a little boy's. Roland, his precious dimple faced boy. Robin's back is to them, but they can see that he and his boy are no younger than they had been when they first met them in the Enchanted Forest, some 100years in the future. Obviously they had ended up someplace where they hadn't aged, Regina thought to herself, as she did everything in her power to resist the urge to run to him. Emma seems to fear that Regina would run to Robin, so she grabs her arm tightly. They all stand there for a moment, watching Robin buy two tickets for himself and Roland.

"Well, there's your answer then." Hook breaks their silence. "Looks like we'll be setting sail on the Titanic after all."

Emma audibly gulps. "I'll get the tickets. You stay here." She rushes over and steps in line, getting strange looks from those around her. They're confused why a 1st class woman such as herself isn't being escorted by a man. But she shrugs it off, not letting their looks distract her from her task. After a few minutes she has purchased 4 first class tickets and returns to Henry, Hook, and Regina. Regina hasn't taken her eyes off of Robin and Roland, who are now sitting on a bench nearby. Robin is talking to Roland, pointing up at the ship before them, Roland is visibly excited as he smiles widely and hugs his father.

It's starting to get late, the sun is setting. The crowd has dispersed significantly. Robin and Roland stand and walk toward a hotel down the street.

"So what now?" Henry asks as they're standing, awkwardly watching the two walk away.

"We wait until morning. We get on the ship and then Regina will meet Robin," Emma says confidently. She's already started devising a plan in her head.

They make their way to the hotel down the street, following Robin and Roland, making sure they stay far enough behind as to not draw attention to themselves. They get two rooms for the night and retire to bed. Regina can't sleep. She lays awake for what seems like hours. Knowing that Robin is here has comforted her. But she's impatient. Wants to see him, talk to him, touch him, kiss him. But she knows she has to do this right, or else things could turn out worse. Reluctantly she lets he eyes fall shut, letting the images of Robin and Roland together on the bench sooth her to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin wakes up as Roland repeatedly taps his shoulder. "Morning my boy," he says with a smile, letting his eyes slowly adjust to the sunlight thats peeking through the drafty window of the hotel room. A horn blares in the distance.

"Papa! We're going to America! We're going on a ship, Papa!" Roland can't contain his excitement. Robin chuckles.

"Yes we are, little man, we're going to America." He himself is quite excited, though he misses their home.

Roland jumps off the bed and scurries over to their bags, pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. He sits down and begins doodling. Robin smiles, walking to look out the window at the view. From his room, he can see the Titanic perched at the dock.

While looking at it, he begins to think back to his home, the Enchanted Forest. Only a month ago he and Roland had been hunting and camping in the forest with his Merry Men, dodging Sheriff Nottingham and avoiding the Evil Queen's Black Knights at every turn. They'd been living a dangerous life as outlaws, but Robin had to admit, it was fun. Their lives were good, they stole from the rich and gave to the poor. He'd lost his wife, Marian, when Roland was born, but they'd done alright. After all, he'd had his Merry Men. They were his family.

Just a month ago he and Roland had been hunting a wild boar through the dark forest when suddenly they came upon a lake. Robin had been through the forest hundreds of times, he knew it by heart, and never had he once come upon this lake before. Curiously he and his boy walked up to the water. Robin bent down to take a sip, but when he touched it, it suddenly began to swirl. Before he and Roland could back away, they were sucked down. After a moment of utter fear and confusion, Robin's feet hit the ground. Opening his eyes, he knew immediately that they were in a different world. He felt Roland grab his leg tightly. He patted the boy's head to comfort him, all the while taking in his new surroundings. They had wandered up and down cobblestone streets with strange looking shops and people dressed in odd clothes.

Robin is pulled out of his trance when Roland speaks. "Papa, I'm hungry."

Shaking his head and taking his eyes away from the ship outside, he turns to Roland and gives him a smile, "Well get dressed son and we can go get something to eat." Roland flashes a wide smile, dimples on full display, then jumps up and begins changing out of his pajamas. Robin repacks their two travel bags with their little belongings and after a few minutes, they're leaving the room heading out of the hotel.

Regina wakes with a start. She hadn't slept well. She woke up several times during the night, as she'd done every night since Robin's death, seeing the love of her life fall lifeless to the floor in her office as Hades smiled viciously from across the room.

She sat up quickly, not immediately recognizing where she was. Henry, feeling her sudden movement, wakes up himself. "Hey, mom, its ok" he reassures her as he notices her fearful look. She turns to him as the events of the day before reenter her mind. She gives him a small smile.

"Yes, Henry, I know." Regina starts to feel hope returning to her. "Come on lets get up and wake Emma and Hook," she says as she steps out of bed.

A few minutes later, she and Henry have dressed in the travel attire they'd bought the day before. Regina was not too keen on wearing the floor length starchy gown she'd picked out. Today she's wearing a deep red dress that's cut low on her chest. The corset squeezing her breasts tightly, showing off their plump, voluptuous shape. The gown reminded her a little too much of her Evil Queen days, but she had to admit, it did look good on her. Regina and Henry gather their bags and leave the room, meeting Emma and Hook outside of their door.

"Damn, Regina, I thought the point of buying these ridiculous outfits was to avoid standing out," Emma gestures to Regina's chest. "You're the furthest thing from discrete in that dress," her annoyance evident in her voice.

"Miss Swan, if you're jealous then maybe you should've bought a different dress," she smirks at her with an air of confidence. Regina'd always been proud of her body, after all she worked very hard to keep herself in pristine shape.

Hook rolls his eyes at the two women, "thats enough you two. Now, whats the plan?"

"We're gonna grab some food then board the ship," Emma replies simply as her stomach let out a low growl.

Regina's confidence wavers slightly. She's nervous. She hadn't really thought about how she was going to approach Robin.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Henry senses her uneasiness and places his hand on hers, attempting to comfort her. She brings her eyes to meet his.

"Do you think this'll work?" She asks, her voice coming out shaky. She turns to Emma. "How am I suppose to convince Robin to come back with us. He'll think I'm crazy, talking about being from the future." She pauses briefly before continuing "And how do I meet him? He doesn't know me, but I know him so well, I'm gonna scare him! What if sees me as the Evil Queen?" She's clearly starting to panic.

"Woah, woah, Regina, calm down. Robin is your soulmate. It may be difficult but he will believe you, I know it." Emma says reassuringly.

"How— how do you know?" A tear rolls down Regina's cheek and she brings her gaze to the floor.

"Because I have faith. I believe in you Regina. Robin believes in you. He loves you. He just doesn't know it yet." She gives Regina a sweet smile. Regina can't help it as her lips begin to curve up in a smile of her own.

"It'll be fine, love." Hook adds, wanting to help comfort the distraught and clearly broken woman, "And I don't think you have anything to worry about, especially in that dress. We all know you're his type," he smirks suggestively. Emma nudges him lightly to get him to shut up. Regina rolls her eyes but her smile stays intact.

"Ok. Lets go then."

Regina hooks her arm in Henry's and the four of them make their way out of the hotel and down the street to a small restaurant. They quickly eat their breakfast and get in line to board the ship.

The crowd is worse than the day before. There are people everywhere. Some are dressed in prim and proper clothes, adorned with hats and gloves, walking tall and turning their noses up, clearly thinking they're better than anyone else. As they make their way to the passenger ramp they spot the red-headed girl and her mother a few paces ahead of them.

"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable?" they hear the older woman say, turning to a man in a grey suit with a top hat.

"It is unsinkable!" he responds "God himself can't sink this ship."

"Ha! Don't think so pal" Emma comments a little too loud. The man turns around, having heard her comment. He was about to scold her when caught sight of her long blond hair and her quite beautiful figure. His eyes rake her body, up and down. Hook notices this man's eye's wandering over his girlfriend, (who hadn't noticed as she was looking back to make sure Regina and Henry were right behind them) narrowing his eyes at him, he clutches Emma closely to him. The man gives Hook a glaring look, then proceeds to turn around and place his arm around the red-head, Rose. She visibly flinches at the contact but continues to make her way up the ramp.

Robin and Roland enter their room in the third class compartment of the ship. It is small, with two sets of bunk beds, but it's perfect. Robin begins to unpack as Roland hops on the bed rolling around and giggling. He can't help the smile that creeps on his face as he watches his son.

The door to their room opens. Robin and Roland look up to see two young men enter the room, smiling widely.

"Hi, I'm Jack Dawson," the first one says, holding out his hand, politely greeting his new roommates for the trip.

"Robin Locksley," he responds, shaking the younger man's hand pleasantly, "And this is my son, Roland," Robin places a hand on his son's back. Roland looks up shyly and lets out a quiet "Hi"

"Very nice to meet you Roland," he sticks out a hand and Roland shakes it, copying his father. "And you Robin" Jack says nodding to him. "This is my friend, Tommy," he gestures to the man behind him.

"Pleasure," Tommy says, shaking both Robin and Roland's hands.

"We're gonna go out on the boat deck, wave goodbye to the crowd," Jack says, pointing behind his shoulder, depositing his bag on the bunk bed opposite Robin.

"Oh Papa can I go? Please?" Roland gives his father a pleading look, eyes wide and impossible to deny.

"We'll both go, my boy" Robin chuckles as his son hops up excitedly, grabbing his hand and practically pulling Robin out of the room behind Jack and Tommy.

They climb up the many floors until they reach the boat deck. The four of them wave goodbye to no one in particular as the ship blares its horn once more and begins moving out of the harbor. After a few minutes, the crowd on deck begins to disperse, most people heading back to their rooms. Jack, Tommy, Robin, and Roland decide to stay out on deck and enjoy the view. They discuss their lives. Robin tells them about Marian and how his boy is incredibly mischievous. Jack and Tommy relive stories about their many adventures in Europe. In the middle of one of his stories, Jack falls silent. His eyes have fallen on a beautiful red-head standing at the first-class balcony. Tommy and Robin follow his gaze.

"Always the dreamer," Tommy smirks, shaking his head.

"Ah, come on mate, it is the ship of dreams after all," Robin replies, smirking himself. The mysterious first class woman, feeling Jack's stare, looks down at him. He smiles back at her. She turns to leave as a first-class man approaches her. They speak briefly before she stomps off, clearly upset.

They continue to sit on the benches on the deck. The four of them enjoying each other's company. Jack is trying to figure out a way to find the woman again to speak to her. Tommy keeps telling him how crazy he is, pining for a woman he has no chance of getting with. Robin laughs lightly at their bickering and looks around at the open ocean around them. His eyes scan the deck. There's several groups of people perched around the deck devouring the view of the afternoon sun on the wide expanse of ocean. He sees parents pointing dolphins out to their children, a man drawing a portrait of a young man and woman (probably newlyweds, Robin thinks to himself), and a group of four people deep in conversation. He's suddenly intrigued by this group. A dark haired man and a blond woman are facing him, while a boy, one maybe 10 years older than Roland, and another woman with long dark curly hair, have their backs to him. He finds himself looking the dark haired woman up and down from behind. Even in an expensive first-class starchy gown, he can see her beautiful curves.

"He's checking you out," Emma says to Regina, noticing Robin admiring Regina from afar.

"Good," Regina nods slightly. "Now he's seen me and we can return to our rooms." They had decided that he best course of action was to let Robin get sight of her and let him approach her on his own.

Robin can't stop himself from staring. He knows its not polite. As captivating as she is from behind, he wants to see her face. As if right on cue, the woman turns around. His breath catches in his throat. She's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, and oh so familiar, but he can't place it. He feels as if he's seen her before. Maybe in the Enchanted Forest? But that can't be possible, he thinks to himself. He makes eye contact with her and smiles at her sheepishly, slightly embarrassed for being caught staring. After a moment she returns the smile, before walking toward the stairs to the first class section of the ship.

"Wow, Robin, and I thought Jack was crazy," Tommy laughs heartily, having seen Robin's reaction to the woman.

"That a boy" Jack says, patting Robin's back, smiling brightly.

They stand up to leave the boat deck. Robin smiles to himself, visualizing the woman's warm chocolate eyes on his, seeing her beautiful body turn to face him, her perfect red lips curving up in a smile, her round voluptuous breasts rising and falling with each breath. Holding Roland's hand, he follows Jack and Tommy down the steps back to their room, all the while unable to shake the feeling that there's something familiar about this mysterious goddess of a woman.


	4. Chapter 4

p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"Regina closes the door to the bathroom in their suite and looks at herself. She's shaking. Her hands grip the marble countertop tightly. As she looks into her own eyes, she visualizes Robin's eyes on her. He'd looked right at her. He hadn't recognized her, she could tell that, but she'd made eye contact with living, breathing Robin. It was almost too good to be true. She was brought out of her thoughts by a sharp knock on the door./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Regina, we're ready to go to dinner now," Emma's voice interrupts Regina's solitude. She opens the door abruptly, without responding, somewhat startling Emma. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Let's go" Regina responds as she grabs her shawl. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"Emma, Hook, Henry, and Regina enter the first class dining room. It's magnificent. Tables with uniquely decorated china, beautiful floral center pieces, candles and a number of elegant chandeliers lined the ceiling. They all stood there for a moment, just taking in all of the details. It's overwhelming. A waiter politely introduces himself and escorts them to a large table in the middle of the room. There are already some seats filled at the table. As they sit down, Regina sits beside the red-headed girl, Rose. She looks over at Regina as they take their places. Everyone beings introducing themselves./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""I'm Rose Dewitt Bukater" shaking Regina's hand delicately. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Regina Mills." Regina nods with a gentle smile. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"They begin dinner, all a little nervous, not being familiar with the proper manners of 1912, except for Regina. Having been Queen in the Enchanted Forest, she was used to the old-fashioned manners that the other first class passengers were using./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"After they finished their main course, Rose, along with many of the other men at the table, lit a cigarette. Her mother immediately scolded her from across the table, "You know I don't like that, Rose." /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""She knows," Rose's fiancé, Cal, responded irritated. He removed the cigarette from Rose's mouth with one hand and grabbed her wrist tightly with the other. Rose's body stiffened and she held back a wince. Regina, seeing this, lightly touched Rose's other arm gently in a motherly and reassuring way. Rose looked at her, surprise and gratefulness evident on her face. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"A few minutes later, the men rise from the table and leave to drink brandy. Hook and Emma tap Regina's shoulder. "Let's go back to the suite," Emma whispers to Regina. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""No I'll stay here" as she waves Emma, Hook and Henry off "I'll be back later."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""That's not what we agreed, Regina" Emma was getting a little frustrated with Regina's sudden change of plan./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""I'll be fine, just go." As they leave, Regina turns to Rose who is staring blankly into the distance. "Do you want to take a walk?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"Rose turns to her with a puzzled look but nods after a moment. "I'll meet you back in the room, Mother" she says to her skeptical-looking mother. The two women head out of the dining room and up the stairs to the boat deck. They're immediately greeted by a cold gust of wind./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""You're not like the others" Rose breaks the silence between them. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""No, I'm not. But my mother tried to make me." They stop along the railing and look out across the moonlit expanse of ocean. The stars are bright and it seems to stretch for miles on end. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""So you know what it's like, to have your own mother trying to force you to be what you're not" Rose speaks more to the ocean than to Regina./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Yes. My mother was very much like yours. I couldn't escape."/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""How did you?" Rose now turns to Regina, scanning her face, searching for the answers she most desired./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""I followed my heart. I found true love." Regina smiled as a tear slipped from her eye. She looked out onto the sea, thinking of Robin. Knowing that he is on the ship makes her heart skip a beat. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""It's too late for me, I'm already engaged to a horrid man that my mother arranged. There's no way out." Rose's words bring Regina back./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Believe it or not, I was once in a very similar situation. Mother forced me to marry a King. I was in love with another man and when she found out that I was planning on running away with him, she killed him." At this, Rose looked at Regina wide-eyed. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Oh my god" she breathed, placing a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted back and forth across Regina's face as she continued with her story./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""After that I wanted to kill myself, I thought it was the only way out. But I didn't go through with it. Eventually I found my true love. He saved me." She trailed off. She didn't want to reveal too much. There was only so much that could possibly make sense to someone who wasn't from a magical world. And there was no way she was about to explain how she became the Evil Queen and terrorized people for almost 30 years before she found Robin./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Where is he now?" Rose asks her, now very intrigued by Regina's story, "why isn't he traveling with you?"/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""He died" Regina stated simply. This time she wasn't as upset. Knowing he is roaming the ship makes her feel like his death in Storybrooke was just a dream./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"—/p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"After their dinner, Robin and Roland go back to their room. "Will you tell me a bed time story, Papa?" Roland yawns as Robin helps him into his pajamas. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Sure son" he laughs and lifts Roland into the top bunk. "Once upon a time there was a King and his Prince," (he taps Roland's nose as emphasis) "and they wanted to travel the world. They boarded a big ship and met all kinds of people from all over the world. One afternoon, the King was sitting on the deck, taking in the beautiful sights, feeling the sun warm his face, when suddenly the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen came into view. She walked toward the King, tall and confident. The King was mesmerized by her. She was elegant and gentle. She sat beside him and they shared stories of their lives. They kissed and lived happily ever after." Robin decides to cut the story short, since Roland has already fallen asleep, even though his mind continued to imagine the woman from the afternoon. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"After tucking Roland in, Robin puts on his coat and quietly leaves the room. He heads to the 3rd class pub, where he'd agreed to meet Jack for a beer. As he enters, he sees Jack sitting at a table with two pints. "Here ya go!" Jack hands one of the glasses to Robin./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Thank you. So what's the plan, Jack?" Robin is interested to hear Jack's elaborate plan on how to find the two first-class mystery women./p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""I think our best shot is to be on the deck as much as possible. It's the only place where we could cross paths again," Jack is enthusiastic, very excited to see his red-headed beauty again. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""I like you're thinking. Maybe we'll be see them again tomorrow." He finishes his beer and sets the empty glass on the table. "Wanna take a walk in the night air. The sky should be very bright tonight." /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;""Absolutely." Jack drinks the last few gulps of his beer and follows Robin out of the pub. They climb up the many stairs to reach the boat deck. It's much colder than the afternoon had been. But the stars were bright, making the view incredible. The two men slowly walked around the ship, stopping periodically to take in the view. When they turned a corner, heading toward the stern of the ship, they noticed two figures in the distance. As they got closer they could tell that the two figures were women, one in a purple and white gown with flowing red hair, and the other in a deep red dress with dark curls blowing softly in the breeze. /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px;" /p  
p style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica;"Jack and Robin looked at each other, both stunned that they'd happened upon the very two women they were just scheming to find. They approach the women. They're merely 20 yards away. The women turn around to walk back inside but stop abruptly when they see the two men walking toward them. /p 


	5. Chapter 5

He couldn't believe it. The goddess of a woman was standing in front of him. Robin couldn't help himself. He let his eyes roam over her figure. Her floor-length dress sculpted her curves beautifully. The deep red color emphasizing her soft white skin and the plump perky breasts that were squeezed tightly underneath the low cut neckline. Dark curls sat softly over her shoulders. When his eyes reached her face once more, he couldn't help but wonder how her luscious red lips would taste. His blue eyes met hers. She smiled at him warmly. He grinned back, trying to bring his mind away from her body as Jack broke the silence.

"Chilly night." Jack was scrambling to say something. He was mesmerized by the beauty of the red-head before him. He nudged Robin, signaling him to speak up too.

"Bright stars out tonight" Robin points up, not taking his eyes off of Regina.

"Are you two third-class passengers?" Rose asks, curious about the appearance of the two men in front of her and Regina. "I'm sorry that was rude. I'm Rose Dewitt Bukater" she blurts out before the men could answer.

"Yes we are, Miss. I'm Jack. Jack Dawson." He shakes hers and Regina's hands, keeping his main focus on Rose. "And this is my friend Robin" he gestures toward Robin.

"Robin Locksley" shaking the women's hands. "And you are?"

"Regina Mills" she answers somewhat nervous. She was hoping he wouldn't see her as the Evil Queen. Robin's eyes widen and his mouth opens slightly, clearly realizing why she was so familiar. He'd never been up close to the Queen, (he'd only ever seen her from a distance, dressed in those elaborate gowns, always surrounded by her Black Knights), but he knew her name. Up close she was so different. She was warm, kind looking, and appeared very gentle. He wasn't in the least bit deterred, he was always up for a challenge. This new revelation made him even more excited to talk to her.

The four talked for a while, eventually splitting up. Rose and Jack went for a walk as Regina and Robin sat down on a bench. Regina felt warm inside. She was once again in the presence of her true love. Her senses were hightened. His familiar scent of pine met her nostrils with every gust of wind, his large rugged muscly body was visible even through his peasant clothes. She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. She wanted him but she knew she had to wait, be patient.

They talked about their lives, Regina told him about Henry (which he found a bit odd since he didn't remember the Queen having a child) and he told her about Roland. As they talked, Robin became ever more distracted by her little motions. She was incredibly seductive. He watched her brush a lock of curls off of her shoulder. He noticed how her breasts were pushed together and made even more voluptuous as she lifted her arm to move her hair. When she spoke, her voice was so warm and sexy.

"You're from the Enchanted Forest, aren't you, milady?" He already knew the answer but he wasn't going to refer to her as the Queen just yet.

"Yes." She responded boldly, but was definitely nervous. Although he didn't appear concerned that she was the Evil Queen, she was aware that now he had figured out who she was. This scared her somewhat, but she decided to embrace it. "I was the Queen."

"Ah ha! I knew it!" He was beaming. "How did you find your way here, your majesty?" His curiosity was getting the best of him. He wants desperately to get to know her, she seems nothing like the rumors he's heard about the great and terrible Evil Queen. He's heard of her beauty but she's far more stunning than he could've ever imagined. The stories didn't do her justice. Her eyes were a soft, warm brown, bright even. Her features so welcoming and pleasant. He'd never seen such a gorgeous creature. Robin watched her chest rise and fall gently with every breath, her breasts peeking out above her neckline, just barely visible, hidden by the shawl wrapped around her. She took a moment to answer his question. He took advantage of that to admire her.

"You must know about me then," Regina chooses to say, he nods. She's aware of the rumors about her. If he knew she was Queen, then he would know that she has magic. "I used magic to travel here. And call me Regina."

"Alright, Regina." He said warmly. He could tell she didn't want to talk about being Queen or the Enchanted Forest, it made her uptight. He didn't want to push her so he left it there. "Do you want to go inside, milady, it's quite cold out tonight," he changes the subject and is aware she's shivering in the freezing night air.

"Sure, that'd be nice."

Robin stood from the bench and offered her his arm. Regina smiled at him and gladly took it. They headed inside. "I don't want to seem too forward, but would you like to join me for a drink in my suite? I have whiskey." She was trying so hard to act like she didn't know him. But she knows him so well, and loves him still, making it difficult for her to resist the temptation to kiss him and tell him so right there.

He was a pleasantly surprised with her bold suggestion. He didn't want to go back to his room just yet. "That's my favorite drink! And I'd be more than happy to join you" he said politely. As they walked inside, they turned down many passageways (Regina had to scold one of the crew members when they tried to tell Robin he wasn't allowed up in first class) until they finally reached the suite Regina shared with Emma, Hook, and Henry. Robin couldn't help but find her angry outburst at the crewman very attractive. She showed a bit of sass, _her Queenly side,_ he thought. It was down right sexy. He had to shake his head to stop himself from letting go of all inhibition and pushing her up against the wall and kissing her right then and there.

"Here we are," as Regina opened the door, she found Henry, Hook and Emma all talking and lounging in the sitting room. Henry had is story book open in his lap, undoubtably checking to make sure no part of the future had been compromised thus far. Hook was sipping on some rum while Emma stood up abruptly.

"There you are Regina, we've been worried sick!" She says loudly before noticing Robin behind her, "oh."

Hook doesn't even look up from the fireplace. "I wasn't worried, she can handle herself, Swan, she was the Queen, you know. You're always worrying so…" Emma cuts him off before he can finish his sentence.

"Regina, who's your friend there?" she tries to mask her shock of seeing Robin standing with Regina, holding her hand. She wondered how on earth Regina had managed to convince him to come back to her room.

"Emma, this is Robin Locksley. Robin meet Emma Swan," she goes through the formalities and then gestures over to the center of the room where both Hook and Henry have now stood up. "And that's Killian Jones and my son, Henry. I told you about him."

"Ah yes, a pleasure to meet you all." Robin is polite, he recognizes them from the afternoon when he'd first spotted Regina.

Henry looks excited, eyes dashing between his mother and Robin. He wants so badly for her to have her happy ending again. Regina made him and herself whiskey neat. As she handed him his glass, Emma spoke up.

"Regina, can I speak to you in the other room for a moment?" She was pointing toward the bedroom door behind her. Regina nods, a bit reluctant. She doesn't want to leave Robin's presence but knows that Emma will push it if she doesn't comply now. As the door closes behind them Emma looks at Regina wide eyed.

"What the hell?! How is this anything like we talked about? We haven't even figured out how to tell him we're from the future." She was bewildered.

"Relax, Ms. Swan. He already knows I'm the Queen and have magic so it won't be that hard to explain," her frustration evident in her voice. Regina wants so much to return to the other room and be with Robin.

"Don't _Ms. Swan_ me, Regina! I'm trying to be realistic here. I don't want you to mess anything up." She immediately realized she'd said the wrong thing. Regina looked livid.

" _Me_ mess things up?! Really, Emma. If I recall, the reason Robin got killed in the first place was because Hades came back with us from the Underworld. And why did we have to go to the Underworld? Oh yes, to save Hook, because YOU turned him into a dark one. It seems _you_ messed things up, Ms. Swan." She's fuming. Her breathing more ragged, brows furrowed, and eyes piercing Emma. Regina knew her statement was harsh but she was in a very emotional state.

"Alright Regina," Emma sighed and shook her head, realizing she'd pushed Regina too far, "I probably overstepped with that statement," a barely audible ' _damn right_ ' came out of Regina's mouth at this, "but I think we need to come up with a way to tell him we're from the future."

Regina thinks for a moment, internally agreeing with Emma. Suddenly she has an idea. "The story book!" She looks at Emma excitedly. "It's the only thing that's been able to make people believe and understand all of the crazy things that happen."

Emma nods slowly, pondering this idea. "Will that be enough?" she's hesitant to jump into this plan, it doesn't seem very realistic.

"Emma, lets talk to Henry about it tomorrow. We don't have to tell Robin we're from the future tonight." At this point Regina just wanted to go back and be with Robin.

"Okay. But let's try to stick with the plan this time, Regina." Regina just rolled her eyes and opened the door leading back into the sitting room.

As they entered the room, Hook was fixing himself another drink while Henry and Robin were flipping through his story book, having a lively conversation. Regina smiles at seeing Robin and Henry interacting but Emma internally panics. Although they may be in the past, the story book is filled with things from the future. Emma grabsRegina's arm. Regina looks over at her, seeing the panic in her eyes. For a second she is confused but then looks back at Robin and Henry and seems to make the connection. She doesn't want Robin to see the stories about their future just yet, so she needs to distract him. Just as she opens her mouth to say something, Robin flips many chapters forward.

"What the hell?" is all he is able to say.


	6. Chapter 6

Robin looks down at the illustration before him. He can't believe his eyes. He's looking at a picture of himself and Regina kissing in a forest.

"What kind of magic is this?" Robin turns and gives Regina a bewildered and somewhat agitated look, "Why is does this book have a picture of you and me kissing? I've only just met you!"

"Robin, wait!" Regina's voice breaking, a lump quickly forming in her throat. She rushes toward him, but he puts down his unfinished drink and stands up.

"I think I should retire to my own room now." He looks puzzled and somewhat uncomfortable. Regina is becoming visibly upset. "Good night, your Majesty," he says as he quickly leaves the suite.

Regina begins to run after him but Hook blocks the doorway. "Hook don't make me take your other hand!" she's fuming, her eyes filled with rage, fear, and mourning. He just wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly as Henry apologizes for letting Robin near the book.

"Look, I'm sure he's just overwhelmed. He'll come around." Emma is trying to comfort her. Regina lets out a low sob. Hook just continues to hold her as best he can.

"He has to come around. He just has to," is all Regina can get out.

Robin walks down the many stairs to his third class compartment. His mind is racing. As soon as he'd left the suite he wanted to turn back around and apologize for his reaction and simply ask Regina how that book possibly had an image of the two of them kissing. He'd gotten a bit frightened by the sight of it. It was mostly just a big surprise, something he's wanted to do since the very moment he'd laid eyes on her, but it was still shocking. Robin quietly entered his compartment and climbed into bed. After what felt like hours, he managed to fall asleep, dreaming of the beautiful Queen.

Back in Regina's suite, Emma and Hook comforted Regina as much as they could until she went to her room and curled into her bed, crying herself to sleep.

Regina woke late the next morning, with new confidence. She knows she shouldn't give up hope. She can hear Snow's annoying commentary in her head: "Don't lose hope Regina, he's your true love, he'll understand." As annoying as it is, she knows Snow's echoing voice is right. Regina goes to her wardrobe and picks out her favorite, most regal gown. As much as she loved the 21st century attire she wore in Storybooke, she still has a knack for picking out the gowns that accentuate her best features and are still fit for a queen. She looks at herself in the mirror, evaluating her appearance. Her features are highlighted well, tight in all the right places. She smirks and leaves the room, determined to find Robin.

Emma was sitting on the couch by the door when Regina walked out of her bedroom. "Regina, I have some ideas on how we should talk to Robin…" Emma pauses, watching Regina, who's made her way across the room to the mantle, removing the almost-full bottle of whiskey and concealing it in her gown. "Isn't it a little early for a drink?" She looks at Regina puzzled.

"This isn't for now," Regina gestures to where the whiskey bottle is hidden. "And there is no ' _we_ ', I've got it handled," she responds smugly and quickly walks out of the suite before Emma can chase her.

"Uhhhh that woman is infuriating!" Emma says loudly to the empty room. A moment later Hook and Henry enter the suite with bagged lunch.

"Has my mom woken up yet?" Henry asks Emma eagerly.

"Oh yeah, she just went rogue on the whole Robin front," rolling her eyes and pointing to the door, frustration and annoyance evident in her voice.

"What did you expect, love?" Hook says as he hands Emma her lunch, kissing her forehead sweetly. Emma smiles and nods, acknowledging Hook's statement.

When Robin awoke, his mind was already scheming a way to find Regina again and apologize for running away the previous night. But before he could think too far ahead, Roland poked his head out to get his father's attention. "Papa!" he said excitedly, "Can we go get some breakfast, Papa?" Roland's stomach gave a rather loud growl and his father laughed, nodding and putting on his day clothes. The two of them walked out of their room to the third class dining area. They sat down with Jack and Tommy, who were deep in conversation.

"But she's engaged, Jack. She'll never go off with you, be realistic!" Tommy glanced up to see Robin approaching. "Robin ole boy, tell this love-struck fool that he's crazy to pine after that first class lady-friend of his." Robin smiled and shook his head. Jack laughed.

"He sees my side, Tommy, he met up with his girl last night too" giving Robin a wink, Jack leaned back in his seat looking very proud.

"You did?" Tommy seemed bewildered, "oh not you too! I hoped you'd be a source of reason," he paused, looking around, "who is she?" his curiosity getting the best of him. Both he and Jack leaned in to hear Robin's story.

"Her name is Regina," he started. He definitely wasn't going to tell them about the picture he saw in that book, but he had plenty else to say about her. "She's got a son, about ten years older than Roland," he pats Roland's back as he shovels oatmeal into his mouth, not paying any interest into the adult's conversation.

"Oh come on, tell us more, give us the juicy details" Jack is excited to hear about the rest of Robin's night, "did anything exciting happen?" he glanced around, "you know," he says in a hushed voice then imitates a kiss.

"Haha no, I'm a man of honor, Jack," although that's all he could imagine doing at the moment, he couldn't get his mind off of that. "She's far to high class to skip formalities. But she's very down to earth, a very interesting soul, I must see her again."

"You two are crazy," Tommy laughs and shakes his head. "Far beyond any voice of reason I suppose."

"You're just jealous you haven't found yourself a first-class mystery woman," Jack says nudging Tommy playfully.

"The right woman will come along when she comes along," Tommy says as he stands up clearing his plates from the table. "Well I'm off to walk around the boat deck, you fellas wanna come along?"

"I don't see why not," Robin finishes his breakfast and he, Roland, Jack, and Tommy set off for a day on the deck.

The whole day goes by and there's no sign of her. Robin has circled the deck several times and still has yet to see her. He begins to worry that he ruined things by leaving so abruptly last night. After a short and uneventful dinner, he sets off on his own to clear his head. He finds a bench near the rear of the deck facing the ocean and watches the sunset. His mind is swirling, hoping that he hasn't upset the beautiful Queen. It begins to get dark, but Robin doesn't care, he's too caught up in his thoughts, when suddenly he hears that smooth regal voice behind him, "may I join you?" He turns around to face the woman he'd been hoping to find all day. She stood there in all her beauty, wearing a light colored gown that perfectly outlined her curves and showed off her best traits. His eyes meet hers and he feels such a warmth inside, unlike any he's felt before.

"Yes, please milady," he scoots over so she has room to sit with him.

"I brought a spare blanket," Regina unfolds it and lays it across the two of them. "And this" she reaches into her gown and pulls out the bottle of whiskey from the night before.

"Ah, yes, I always appreciate a night cap," he says warmly, trying to think of a way to apologize.

"It's an apology for yesterday, I'm very sorry, I have to explain," she starts.

"No, I must apologize, I shouldn't have run out like that, I'm sorry. I was just confused."

"I know. I'm afraid that when I tell you the truth you won't believe me." Regina opened the bottle and took a big swig, her eyes beginning to glisten with a hint of a tear. Robin seems to notice it.

"Milady, I assure you, I know of your powers, there's nothing that will truly surprise me." He tries to reassure her. He feels a great sense of trust with her.

"Alright, then here goes," she takes another big gulp and visibly winces from the burn, and hands him the bottle, "I came here…from the future." She says almost in a whisper.

Robin takes a considerably large drink of whiskey before replying. "Oh, I see," he pauses for a moment, "and I suppose the book was showing something that happens between us in the future then?"

"Yes" Regina sighs. "I can tell you more about it if you…"

"For now, that's enough." Robin interrupts. "I want to get to know you better. All I've heard is the stories of a great and terrible Evil Queen. But I don't see how you could be that same person," he says with a flirty grin, making her smile as well. He loved the sight. Her face beamed and her eyes glimmered. He was absolutely mesmerized. Her perfect pouty lips looked so luscious, he just wanted to taste them. Her skin so soft, he wanted to touch it. He watched her put the bottle to her lips and swallow the fiery liquid with such elegance. He suddenly realized he was staring, and a familiar tingling was going through his body. Regina looked at him, starting to feel the effects of the whiskey, giving her more confidence.

"You have such an open mind, Robin." She said softly, licking her lips subtly. This did not go unnoticed by Robin. He so desperately wanted to kiss her, but she was the Queen after all, he didn't want to be rude.

"I do hope I'm not speaking too boldly, but your beauty is beyond anything I've ever witnessed. And I don't speak of just your physical beauty, I can see that you have great beauty inside, masked by the criticism of others." He almost couldn't believe what he'd just said. She blushed and looked at him seductively.

"You're too sweet." She placed a hand on his, very gently. Robin looked into her eyes then down to her lips and back up again. He couldn't restrain himself any longer, he had to know how she tasted. ' _To hell with manners_ ' he thought to himself as he leaned toward her. His eyes closed as his lips reached hers. He kissed her softly for a moment and then backed away to read her reaction. Regina gave him a sweet and sexy smile then began passionately kissing him. His right hand slid up to her head, cupping her face tenderly. Her skin was softer than he imagined and oh so warm. She tasted sweet, like honey and roses. His left hand reached her hip and roamed her body. He couldn't get enough. A single tear rolled down Regina's cheek. She was overwhelmed with joy. Ever since Robin's death she'd wanted so badly to kiss him and hold him. And now she was.

After several moments, they broke apart for air. Regina leaned into him, resting her head on Robin's broad shoulder, inhaling that familiar pine scent. He held her and placed his chin on top of her head. Regina smiled to herself.


End file.
